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DESIGN & MANAGEMENT <br />FOR RESILIENT LANDSCAPES <br /> <br />LOW-IMPACT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT <br />Low Impact Development (LID) uses micro-scale techniques to manage precipitation as close to <br />where it hits the ground as possible. LID is grounded in a core set of principles based on the <br />paradigm that stormwater management should not be seen as simply disposal and that <br />numerous opportunities exist within the developed landscape to control stormwater runoff close <br />to the source. Underlying these principles is an understanding of natural systems and a <br />commitment to work within their limits. <br />LID uses a systems approach that emulates natural processes with distributed small-scale <br />practices throughout the landscape. The emphasis is on simple, nonstructural, low-tech, and <br />low-cost methods. A near limitless universe of runoff control strategies, combined with common <br />sense and good housekeeping practices, are the essence of a LID strategy. <br />Bioretention provides a good example of how LID management practices work. What looks like a <br />nicely landscaped area is in fact an engineered system that facilitates depression storage, <br />infiltration, and biological removal of pollutants. Runoff is directed to these low-tech treatment <br />systems instead of conventional stormwater infrastructure. Bioretention areas use plants and <br />soil to trap and treat petroleum products, metals, nutrients, and sediments. Bioretention areas, <br />also known as "rain gardens," are relatively inexpensive to build, easy to maintain, and can add <br />aesthetic value to a site, without consuming large amounts of land. <br />Other common LID practices include: <br />1. Vegetated Swales, Buffers, and Strips <br />2. Rain Barrels and Cisterns <br />3. Permeable Pavers <br />4. Soil Amendments (to improve water absorption and retention) <br />5. Impervious Surface Reduction <br /> <br />XERISCAPING <br />Combining water conservation techniques with landscaping is a concept known as Xeriscape or <br />dry landscape. Xeriscape is a term coined in a Denver, Colorado program designed to promote <br />water conservation in the landscape. While the idea began in the western United States where <br />landscapes can be truly dry, the same water-saving principles apply to the Southeast. <br />Xeriscaping combines sound horticultural practices to conserve water while maintaining a <br />beautiful landscape. The seven basic Xeriscape principles are: <br />44